Following a grassroots campaign involving petitions, meetings, and letters, the Efrat City Council has voted unanimously to ban all Arabs from Efrat. The decision was made after an Arab who had worked in Efrat attempted to set off a powerful bomb in the local supermarket; miraculously, it exploded only partially, and only one resident was wounded. The decision will be in force for three months, at the end of which time it will be reviewed. The residents\' petition began, \"With thanks to Hashem for granting us a second chance, [we] the undersigned [demand...]\"
Aware that Arab workers played a not-insignificant role in the town\'s stores and services, Efrat residents have begun a campaign to enlist volunteer or other help in various areas. Ari Dobner, who organized the petition campaign, told Arutz-7 today that there is a sense of relief in the town, \"and we are hopeful that this will be a springboard not only for other communities to make a similar decision, but also for a renewed pioneering-altruistic spirit in the town.\" At the same time, however, he acknowledges that those most affected by the decision - the building contractors - have not yet given an indication as to how they will abide by the new ruling.
Efrat resident Nadia Matar, co-chair of Women in Green, was thrilled:
\"This historic decision is what gives me encouragement and hope... Had you told any of us a year ago that liberal-tolerant Efrat - where most people believed in coexistence between Jews and Arabs- would take such a dramatic decision- I would not have believed it. Nobody would have... This decision has lots of positive implications. All Efrat residents will hopefully join in to keep Efrat a growing, beautiful and clean community. We are now forced to go back to the good old days of Jewish Labor... I personally spent some time this morning with a friend cleaning the Efrat shopping center; picking up the dirty papers on the floor and throwing out the public garbage cans. I want to tell you that I felt spiritually elevated. It was a pleasure and an honor to clean the streets of Efrat. It was a pleasure and an honor to clean the streets of Eretz Yisrael [the Land of Israel]. I sent a letter to the mayor urging him to organize a program where all residents of Efrat would participate in the cleaning of the town: kindergartens, schools, youth groups, girls and boys in yeshivot and adults in their free time...\"
Aware that Arab workers played a not-insignificant role in the town\'s stores and services, Efrat residents have begun a campaign to enlist volunteer or other help in various areas. Ari Dobner, who organized the petition campaign, told Arutz-7 today that there is a sense of relief in the town, \"and we are hopeful that this will be a springboard not only for other communities to make a similar decision, but also for a renewed pioneering-altruistic spirit in the town.\" At the same time, however, he acknowledges that those most affected by the decision - the building contractors - have not yet given an indication as to how they will abide by the new ruling.
Efrat resident Nadia Matar, co-chair of Women in Green, was thrilled:
\"This historic decision is what gives me encouragement and hope... Had you told any of us a year ago that liberal-tolerant Efrat - where most people believed in coexistence between Jews and Arabs- would take such a dramatic decision- I would not have believed it. Nobody would have... This decision has lots of positive implications. All Efrat residents will hopefully join in to keep Efrat a growing, beautiful and clean community. We are now forced to go back to the good old days of Jewish Labor... I personally spent some time this morning with a friend cleaning the Efrat shopping center; picking up the dirty papers on the floor and throwing out the public garbage cans. I want to tell you that I felt spiritually elevated. It was a pleasure and an honor to clean the streets of Efrat. It was a pleasure and an honor to clean the streets of Eretz Yisrael [the Land of Israel]. I sent a letter to the mayor urging him to organize a program where all residents of Efrat would participate in the cleaning of the town: kindergartens, schools, youth groups, girls and boys in yeshivot and adults in their free time...\"